The elections results were bittersweet for many residents of Linden, in Region 10, who voted overwhelmingly for opposition coalition APNU and were disappointed that it did not win the presidency.
There was a mixed response generally to the results and its untimely release spurred but residents maintained the peace and quiet among the various sections before and after the polls.
Of the 24,065 eligible voters in Region 10—which is electoral District 10—15,816 voted and APNU received 11,353 of the valid votes cast to capture the two Geographic Constituency seats. The PPP/C received 2,868 votes and AFC received 1,324 votes. APNU’s main constituent, the PNCR, which contested the last elections, had only managed over 7,000 votes in Region 10 in 2006, and the PPP/C had received 3,189 and AFC 3,166.
At the PNCR party office and the Linden headquarters of the APNU for the 2011 campaign, there were only three supporters there after the announcement was read, and they were not at all happy.
According to Noel Perry, who at the time of Stabroek News’ visit was on the phone expressing his disapproval of the released results, the official announcement showed that APNU had won the Region 10 by a landslide.
At the PPP/C’s Linden office, supporters were not so happy with the preliminary results for the regional elections. “…Of course, in Linden we should have done much better.
We have tried but I know that the odds were against us and I am hoping that maybe the next time around we would be able to deliver,” said Courtney Handy, the Community Coordinator for the PPP/C. Another party supporter, Phillip Bynoe, whose endorsement surprised the community during the campaign, had similar thoughts.
“As for Linden and Region 10, everybody knows my position and we also know that in 2006 Region 10 voted for the PNC and the PNC disappeared after elections.
They didn’t come and sit down with the people to discuss their problems and hear their grievances. This year Region 10 voted overwhelmingly for APNU and I hope that they don’t disintegrate immediately and throw the whole political process, insofar as it pertains to the people who voted for them, in disarray because that can easily happen,” Bynoe warned.
There were several pockets of people gathered throughout Central Macken-zie, all discussing the elections and all with varied opinions. However, most expressed the satisfaction that there is now a minority government.
“I am drinking and celebrating because the people of Guyana have won because no party has the majority in parliament, they can’t come and shove stuff down my throat and say eat, that means that we the people have won and we all need to take a drink.
The results have also shown that Guyana is still racially-polarized and if Mr [Moses] Nagamootoo had not brought out the votes in Region 6, the PPP would have had control of parliament again and it would have been back to square one again,” said Alphonso David Martin.
This, according to residents, is history in the making, which augurs well for the Guyanese population as a whole. “I know for a fact Linden would have been trampled underground if the PPP/C had the majority rule because it was obvious that we here in Linden will never support the PPP/C,” opined one man, who asked not to be named.
Prior to the announcement of the results, a majority of residents were positive that APNU had won the elections and very were glued to the elections’ coverage eagerly awaiting the release of the results from the Guyana Elections Commission the day after elections day. Tension began to rise as residents were becoming uncomfortable about the process, which they believed should not have taken more than 24 hours to be released.
Stores remained open, persons continued to conduct their daily activities but most said that it was difficult for them to focus as they were being bombarded with unsavoury information as it related to the results. “We saw the [Organisation of American States] making statements, which suggested that this process should not take a long time to get the results out,” said one man.
Others said that they went to work with TV sets and radios while others kept close to their BlackBerry phones for the latest update. “We saw that with how the results was coming out at first that we know APNU won this thing then all of a sudden there was this unexplained change, I started getting suspicious,” said a vendor.
As the hours followed, persons began to readjust to their normal activities while keeping their ears on the ground for reports of what was transpiring in Georgetown.
